Does meal frequency make a significant difference in fat loss?

(Grangeiro et al., 2021)

The latest study on meal frequency by Grangeiro et al., 2021 put another nail in the coffin.

For a long period, small frequent meals were the staple of a fat loss diet. Some early observational studies have reported lower meal frequency associated with increased body weight, and small regular meals are superior for fat loss.

Grangeiro et al., 2021 examined 40 obese women over 12 weeks. Both the six meals group and three meals group had similar energy deficit and macronutrient distribution.

Participants showed no difference in body weight loss, body composition, blood lipids, or markers of insulin sensitivity between six small frequent meals and three bigger meals.

Reference:
Grangeiro ÉD, Trigueiro MS, Siais LO, Paiva HM, Sola-Penna M, Alves MR, Rosado EL. Hypocaloric diet with lower meal frequency did not affect weight loss, body composition and insulin responsiveness, but improved lipid profile: a randomized clinical trial. Food Funct. 2021 Dec 13;12(24):12594-12605.